EDINBURGH – David Beckham might be the most popular man in most rooms, but the mood in Scotland is certainly not swinging in his favour after he delivered a pro-union message.

The former England football captain gave support to a petition signed by 200 stars and wrote: "We want to let you know how very much we value our relationship and friendship. Of course regardless of your decision that will never change, however, my sincere hope is that you will vote to renew our historic bond which has been such a success over the centuries and the envy of the entire world.

"What unites us is much greater than what divides us. Let's stay together."

Members of the Yes Scotland campaign are unimpressed by the former Manchester United and England star's stance, labelling him "out of touch" and calling his opinion irrelevant.

Colin Storrier, who has taken two weeks leave from his job at Lloyds and was today campaigning in Edinburgh despite unrelenting rain, said celebrities were making the campaign unfair. "The campaign's not about celebrities," he said. "It's about the people living in this country and how we can make it better for them."

Celebrities, he said, have ''got millions, they've got mansions, they can't really relate to the children in poverty here. I don't really think they understand the circumstances. This is an issue for the normal working-class."

Another campaigner, 48-year-old former Scottish parliamentary official Alison Dickie, said the campaign should be "about the people of Scotland. I don't give a tuppence about what [Beckham] thinks. His view doesn't influence my opinion at all. This is an issue for the people of Scotland."

Another voter who's supporting independence is Seonaid Suominen, 60, who said that her whole family was voting Yes. Her mother passed away earlier this year but would also have voted for independence, she said.

Suominen criticised the Better Together campaign for "interference and scaremongering beyond imagination", and said Westminster politicians had a lot of questions to answer. She mentioned a video that went viral over the weekend in which Miliband avoided answering a question from a parent.

She added that Beckham's contribution just won't make a difference: "It leaves me cold. I don't think celebrities really matter in our campaign and our fight for our own independence. Beckham's a nice guy. He's a multimillionaire and he's not Scottish. Does his view really matter?"

Another voter, Robert Brown, 33, agreed, saying: "His opinion just doesn't matter. I don't think it's right to use celebrity votes.

"Plus he's always been known to be a bit dim, and he doesn't know enough about what's happening in Scotland. I reckon Scotland's got a lot more money and revenue and there's oil we're not making money from."

A No voter took a similar view, arguing that celebrities will have no impact on the campaign.

The individual, who did not want to give his name, said: "People aren't going to vote Yes or No just because an English celebrity says so."

Meanwhile, Terry Hamilton, a 39-year-old voluntary worker, said the Queen's message yesterday – that voters should "think very carefully" – overstepped the mark. "I thought she was meant to be apolitical and this was possibly too much. I think she should remain neutral. This is a matter for Scottish people."